Gut microbiota are hugely important for your health.
The food you eat affects the type of bacteria that lives inside you.
Diet consisting of different food types can lead to diverse microbiota.
A few studies have shown that gut microbiota diversity is much greater in people from rural regions of Africa and South America than those from Europe or the US.
The environment you create for the bacteria in your body will dictate what type of bacteria thrive. If you create a healthy environment, you will harbor healthy bacteria and reap all the benefits. If you create an unhealthy environment, you will harbor unhealthy bacteria and your health will suffer.
What should we eat for gut health?
Eat lots of vegetables, legumes, beans and fruits.
They are high in fibre which can stimulates the growth of certain bacteria in your gut. Some high fibre foods that are good for your gut bacteria are: raspberries, artichoke, green peas, broccoli, chickpeas, lentils, beans, whole grains.
Eat fermented foods such as: yoghurt, kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, kombucha, tempeh, miso.
Eat prebiotic foods that promotes the growth of beneficial microbes in the gut. They are: fibre or complex carbs, fruits, vegetables, whole grains.
Eat foods rich in polyphenols – plant compounds that have many health benefits. Good sources are: cacao, green tea, almonds, onions, blueberries, broccoli, grape skin, red wine
Key Dietary Principles
- You should first eat to control inflammation. This will create a healthy environment for gut bacteria and thus improve your microbiota.
- You should eat to control and balance blood sugar. This will create a healthy environment for gut bacteria and thus improve your microbiota.
- We each must determine where we fit in the spectrum of carbohydrate and prebiotics intake. Some will do better on less, and some will do better on more.
- We must determine what our food allergen and food intolerances are.
- Certain food additives can damage our gut and might have a negative impact on our microbiota. These changes can lead to certain gut conditions.
Still want to optimize your gut health and it’s functions?
You can order a nutritional consultation and functional gut testing with me.
I can help you to determine what test you need.
Contact me via email: info@nutritionaltherapist.